Charles Barkley Tells 'Ellen' He'll Never 'Sit Back' When It Comes To Standing Up Against Discrimination!

Charles Barkley makes his very first appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, airing Wednesday (February 12), and opens up about not having a problem standing up for what he believes in.

Host Ellen personally thanks the NBA Hall of Fame legend for speaking out against discrimination, most notably when he initially pulled out of the 2017 NBA All-Star game in Charlotte, North Carolina due to the state’s controversial bathroom bill, HB2.

“Well I hated the bathroom bill, so I went to my boss and said, ‘Hey boss I’m gonna sit out of the All-Star game. I don’t want to to take away from the All-Star game, but I’m gonna sit out the All-Star game,” Charles, 56, recalls. “He says, ‘You can’t sit out the All-Star game, you are our biggest star’. I said, ‘Well, I gotta make a stand against discrimination. He said, ‘Let me talk to the NBA.’”

Charles explains that thanks in part to his efforts, Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, decided to move the game out of Charlotte and to New Orleans.

“It was a really nice gesture for the NBA,” Charles continues. “I think in a time when you’re black, you got to stand up for other people. Black people know what discrimination is like. If your in a position of power, you got to always stand up against discrimination. I’ve been blessed man, and I’m never going to sit back and let discrimination happen on my watch.”